Santa Teresa Foothills West, San Jose, CA

Santa Teresa Foothills West is the everyday side of the south San Jose foothills. Its homes climb the first slopes of the Santa Teresa Hills but stay close to Highway 85 and Almaden Expressway, so the valley's shopping and freeways sit just below. Homes here are well-kept houses built from the late 1960s onward, with the hills behind them and the flats in front. Alamitos and Blossom Valley border the lower edge, and the county park is a longer walk uphill than it is from the east half of the foothills. Santa Teresa County Park is still the big outdoor draw. The Stile Ranch trailhead opens into it from the Almaden Valley side, and from there a web of dirt trails spreads across the ridge, including the climb to Coyote Peak. For a flat walk or a bike ride, the Los Alamitos Creek Trail and the water at Almaden Lake Park are an easy drive. Almaden Plaza on the expressway covers much of daily life, with Whole Foods and Trader Joe's for groceries and Spectra Coffee Roasters for the morning stop. Spectra is known for floral and spiced lattes, orange blossom, rose and turmeric among them, and waffles big enough to split. On Blossom Hill Road, Empire Armadillo took over the old Armadillo Willy's and now smokes Texas brisket and cures its own pastrami. Westfield Oakridge, a short drive east, handles the bigger shopping trips. Living near the arterials costs Santa Teresa Foothills West some traffic along its edges, and Blossom Hill Road and the expressway back up at the busy hours of the day. Most errands still happen by car, even with the stores so close. The honest tradeoffs are the expressway and Blossom Hill traffic that run along the edge and the grassland fire risk that comes with any foothill address. If the east foothills feel a touch remote for you, the west side is the more everyday version of the same setting, with the hills at your back and the arterials at your feet.